Philipsburg:--- The government of St. Maarten will not be assuming any responsibility for persons who were affected due to the implementation of the visa requirements that went into effect as of Monday April 11 2011 announced Minister of Justice Roland Duncan.The Minister said that while the visa requirement is now in place and since there was no grace period or transition period granted his Ministry can be contacted for visa waiver.
Minister Duncan said those persons who intend to contact his Ministry for waiver must also fulfill the necessary requirements before they are granted a waiver. He further explained that it is not normal for any government to grant a grace period or transition period when they are trying to restrict entry of citizens of certain countries. Minister Duncan said that was done specifically to avoid a flood of applications.
The Minister explained that St. Maarten requested to have a visa requirement for Jamaican and Guyanese citizens but at that time the Antillean Government did not honor St. Maarten's request for other political circumstances.
The Minister said when he took office raised the issue up again and he prepared the decision which was supported by the council of ministers to implement the visa requirement for visitors from Guyana and Jamaica. Minister Duncan said St. Maarten can determine who could visit the island based on the laws on admittance and expulsion. He said the decision for applying the visa requirements falls under his authority and the procedures to implement this new requirement were followed but it took sometime before it went into effect. He said the Council of Ministers informed their partners about the decision taken by the council of ministers while the Minister of Foreign Affairs was asked to execute the decision of the Council of Ministers. The Minister of Foreign Affairs sent on the necessary instructions to the countries that are being affected, and the airlines. Minister Duncan said that the consulate in Trinidad is responsible for the handling of the visa applications. The Government of St. Maarten he said will soon publish the positive list (list of countries that needed visa to enter St. Maarten) and the negative list (citizens that has visa waiver) shortly.